Swivel for bulldozer blades



June 19, 1951 J. A. THIERRY SWIVEL FOR BULLDozER BLADES Filed July 51, `1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TORl June 19, 1951 J. A. THIERRY 2,557,160

SWIVEL FOR BuLLDozER BLADES Filed July 3l. 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 infin f///A/ 624/145 7?//ffix IN1/EN TOR,

June 19, 1951 J. A. THIERRY SWIVEL FOR BULLDozER BLADES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 31, 1948 H" f/b/m/,Qfwfw/fei INVENTOR,

June 19, 1951 J. A. THIERRY SWIVEL FOR BULLDOZER BLADES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 3l, 1948 HIM Patented June 19, 1951 SWIVEL FOR BULLDOZER BLADES South Milwaukee, Wis.,

John Adams Thierry,

assignor to Bucyrus-Erie Company,

South Mil- Waukee, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Application July 31, 1948, Serial No. 41,858

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in tractor-operated bulldozers, more particularly to an improved means for connect-` ing the bulldozer blade to the blade-supporting U -frame and to the landsides, whereby the blade may be angled about a vertical axis, tilted about a fore-and-aft axis, tipped about a horizontal transverse axis, and secured in selected positions of angling, tilting, and tipping.

In bulldozers of the type to which the invention is adapted, namely angling bulldozers, a U-shaped frame, surrounds the front end of a tractor, the ends of the two branches of the U being pivoted to the sides of the tractor, usually on or adjacent the rear axle thereof. The apex of the U is attached to the center of the rear of the blade by means of a joint, which permits the blade to be tilted in a vertical plane and angled in the horizontal plane. An adjustable brace, called a landside, extends from the sides of the U to each end of the blade, where the landside is attachable at various elevations to an arcuate guide\on the blade, thus effecting tilting of the blade in a vertical plane. Attaching the rear ends of the landsides at various selective positions on the U effects angling of the blade in the horizontal plane.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an improved connection between the blade and the U-frame, with the following ends in view, namely:

(l) To provide a simple compact connection between the blade and the U-frame which will permit the blade to be angled, tilted and tipped, and to be secured in selected angled, tilted and tipped positions. V

(2) To provide a connetcion such that the tilting axis both angles and tips'with the blade; and the tipping axis angles but does not tilt with the blade.

(3) To provide a connection such that the tilting axis is central and perpendicular to the blade, and the tipping axisis central and parallel to the blade.

(4) To provide a connection having a mini- `mum number of parts, and assembly and dis assembly of which is simple.

(5) To provide a connection having suitable bearing surfaces for transmitting thrust from the blade to the supporting U-frame.

(6) To provide a connection that will provide a firm and steady mounting for the blade and a snug fitting relationship between the blade, the supporting U-frame, and the connecting pin, in all positions of angling, tilting, and tipping.

11 Claims. (Cl. 3'7-144) In addition to the objects above stated, I have Worked out a number of novel and useful details, which will be readily evidentl as the description progresses.

My invention consists in the novel parts, and in the combination and arrangement thereof, which are defined in the appended claims, and of .which two embodiments are exemplified in the accompanying drawings, which are hereinafter particularly described and explained.

Throughout the description, the same reference number is applied to the same member or to similar members.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the blade and U-frame of a bulldozer, according to the present invention, the landside end connections being partly in section.

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the blade, taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged diagonal View, from one side rear, partly in section, showin-g the front central portion of the supporting U-frame, Ythe central portion of the blade, and the connection between them.

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section of said connection, taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 5.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal vertical section of said connection, taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 isa horizontal section, taken along the line S-- of Figure 4, showing the connection in a horizontal Vplane through the upper square portion of the pin.

Figure '7 is a horizontal section, taken along the line l-l of Figure 4, showing the connection in a horizontal plane throughvthe intermediate circular portion of the pin.

Figure 8 is a side elevation of the connection between one end of the blade and its adjacent landside, showing the blade secured in normal vvertical position.

Figure 9 is a plan view, partly in section, taken along the line 9--9 of Figure 8.

Figure l0 is a side elevation, similar to Figure 8, but showing the blade tipped rearwardly of its normal position.

Figure 1l is a side elevation, similar to Figure 8, but showing a second embodiment of the connection between one end of the blade and its adjacent landside.

Figure l2 is a plan view, partly in section, taken along the line |2-I2 of Figure 1l.

Figure 13 is a side elevation, similar to Figure ll, but showing the blade tipped rearwardly of its normal position,

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, we see that II represents a conventional bulldozer supporting U-frame which serves to mount the bulldozer blade I2 forwardly of a tractor (not shown). The rear ends I3 of the side arms I4 of the U-frame are usually pivotally connected to the sides of the tractor (not shown) so that the LJ-frame may be raised and lowered about the horizontal transverse axle of the tractor (not shown). The bulldozer blade is disposed transversely of U-frame II in advance of its front portion I5. At its center it is mounted on the apex of the U-frame so that it can be angled about a normally vertical axis, tilted in a normally vertical plane about its central fore-andaft axis, and tipped about a horizontal transverse axis, as will be described hereinafter.

In order to retain the bulldozer blade in a given angled position in the horizontal plane, channel braces I5, known to the trade as landsides, are provided between the side arms I4 and the ends of the bulldozer blade I2. The rear end of each landside I5 carries a pin II which is receivable in one of holes I3 longitudinally spaced along each side arm I4. The method of attaching the forward ends of the landsides to the arcuate tracks I9 on the blade I2, so as to retain the blade in any given tilted position or tipped position will be described hereinafter.

Some conventional means (not shown) must be provided for raising and lowering the blade, about the pivotal connection of the frame to the tractor.

Turning now more particularly to Figures 3 to 5, let us consider the means for securing the blade I2 to the apex of U-i'rame II.

The front portion I5 of U-frame II has a cylindrical abutment 20 with spherical ends 2| and 22 and a vertical cylindrical hole 23 therethrough.

On, and integrally secured to, the rear face of the blade I2, is attaching member 24 which has two rearwardly projecting top and bottom lugs 25 and 29. These lugs are adapted to overlie the spherical ends 2I and 22 of abutment 29, and have vertical holes 2l and 28 respectively which are keyed by pin 29 and rectangular keeper 49 to hole 23 in abutment 20.

Pin 29 has a cylindrical portion 39 to t in hole 23 of abutment 29, and preferably a square head 3|, with sides slightly wider than the diameter of cylindrical portion 3D, to fit in hole 4I of keeper 40.

Hole 2l in upper lug 25 is rectangular in cross section. lts sides 32, transverse to the tractor, are approximately the same length as the corresponding outer sides 42 of keeper 40, in order to give a snug nt between the ends of the keeper and sides 33 of lug 25 and to effect the keying above mentioned.

Sides 33 longitudinal to the tractor, are substantially longer than the corresponding outer sides 43 of keeper 49, in order to permit the blade to tip about an axis transverse to the tractor.

Similarly hole 4I of keeper 49 is rectangular in cross section, its transverse inner sides 44 being somewhat longer than the corresponding sides of head 3l of pin 29, to permit tilting of the blade about its perpendicular axis, and its longitudinal inner sides 45 having the same length as the sides of head SI to give a snug t between the pin and keeper to key the pin 29 to lug 25.

Hole 23 of lower lug 26 is also large enough to permit tilting and tipping movement of the lug 4 relative to the pin which need not, however, be keyed to the lug.

The top surface of lug 25 is spherical, pin 29 having a cap 34 which overlaps and contacts snugly the top surface of the lug in all tilting or tipping positions and thereby prevents dirt from collecting between pin head 3I and the sides of keeper 40 and lug 25.

The forward half of the inner surface of lugs 25 and 26 is spherical to register on the spherical ends of abutment 20, but the rear half is cylindrical about the tilting axis of the blade to permit the lugs to be withdrawn from the abutment when the blade is dismantled.

In order to retain the blade in a given tipped position, an adjustable lock, preferably though not necessarily in the form of screws 46 turned by crank 4T through worm gear 48 and Worm pinions 49, is provided between upper lug 25 and keeper 49. Turning the crank in one direction tips the top of the blade rearwardly, turning it in the other direction tips the top of the blade forwardly.

The connection is assembled by simply inserting abutment y29 between the lugs 25 and 2B of member 24 on the back of the blade and then inserting pin `29 through the three holes already described. The pin may be held in place by a Cotter-pin (not shown) or other suitable fastening means.

It will benoted that pin 29 is the only part to be inserted in assembly, inasmuch as the invention has eliminated the second pin, pivot plate, or bayonet joint as the case may be commonly used in present machines between the blade and the separate attaching member. Furthermore it will readily .be seen that the blade can be assembled and disassembled in normal horizontal position, without it being necessary to turn either it or any other part. Another advantage of this connection is that it is more compact, it being possible to place the blade closer to the supporting frame because of the elimination of any intermediate attaching member with its additional pin or other swivel joint between the blade and the supporting frame. Another advantage is that the thrust and weight of the blade is carried directly by the spherical bearing surfaces 2I and 22 of abutment 20, instead of on pin 29 as in earlier machines.

Turning now to Figures 8 to' l0, we see that the means connecting each landside I6 with the corresponding end of the blade to permit angling, tilting and tipping and to secure the blade in various tilted and/or tipped positions comprises: a T-shaped adjusting block 5I which is pivotally mounted on landside end casting 52 by pin 53 (or other suitable means) to permit swinging about a vertical axis, and dovetails with and slides vertically in a C-shaped arcuate track i9 (with center of curvature on the tilting axis) secured to the back of the bulldozer blade. Sliding the T-block along the C-track effects tilting of the blade. The blade is secured against tilting at any selected point by inserting wedges 55a and 55h through holes 60a and 69h respectively in the web 58 of the T'block, between the shoulders 51a and 5'Ib of the T-block and the back surfaces 58 cf the C-track.

The head 59 of the T-block engages the interior of the C-track at surface 6I of the T-block, this surface being convex in a vertical plane to permit the blade to tip about horizontal tipping axis 62 transverse to the tractor that passes through the center of curvature of spherical surfaces 2l and 22 of abutment 20. The blade is secured in norm'al vertical position (Figure 8) by inserting one wedge in each of holes 5ta and Giib in T-block 5i. The blade is secured in rearwardly tipped position (Figure vby inserting both wedges 55o; and 5511l in lower hole 50h between lower shoulder '51h and the lower portion of 'surfaces 5S of C- track I9, so that the upper portion of baclrsurfaces 53 of C-track I9 bears against the rearwardly inclined upper shoulder 5a of T-blocl: 5I. The blade is secured in forwardly tipped position by inserting both wedges 55a. and 55h in upper hole 60a between upper shoulder 51a and surfaces 58, so that the lower back surfaces '55 of C-track I9 bear against the forwardly inclined lower shoulder 51D of T-block 5l.

Turning now to Figures l1 to 13 inclusive, we see a second embodiment of the means for connecting the end of the landside to the blade to permit angling, tilting and tipping. This embodiment is similar to the first embodiment (Figures 8 to 10), except that the T-blocl; now consists of two interlock members, i. e.: bearing block El and tipping block l2. Bearing block H is pivotally mounted on landside end casting 52 by pin 53 to permit swinging about a vertical axis, and has convex surfaces 13a and ib to permit the blade to tip about horizontal tipping axis and bearing surfaces 14a and Mb on the bearing block 1I to engage the back of C-track I9, when the blade is tipped rearwardly and forwardly respectively. Tipping block l2 has a shoe 15 that slides inside arcuate C-track i9 (to permit tilting), and has arcuate arms '15a and leb that slidably engage convex surfaces 33a and '13b respectively of bearing block 'H (to permit tipping). Wedges 11a and '57h are inserted between one or both of bearing surfaces 14a and 'Mb and the back of the C-traclc depending on the tipping position of the blade, in a manner similar to that employed in the rst embodiment.

Having now described and illustrated two forms of my invention, I wish it to be understood that my invention is not to limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown.

I claim:

1. In bulldozer, the combination of: a supporting frame; a blade; means swivelly mounting said blade on said frame to tilt about an axis substantially perpendicular to the blade and to tip in a fore-and-aft direction about a horizontal axis; a landside adapted to beadjustably connected at its rear end to one side of the supporting frame to retain the blade in a plurality of selected positions in the horizontal plane; means slidably connecting the forward portion of the landside to the blade to permit the blade to tilt and to tip; said means comprising a plurality of interlocked members; one such member being an arcuate track rigidly mounted on the blade and having its center of curvature on the tilting axis; and another such member being a connecting block mounted on the landside, and having a convex surface, said surface having its center of curvature substantially on the tipping axis.

2. A bulldozer according to claim l, further characterized by the fact that the connecting block has an inclined plane bearing surface for surface engagement with bearing means on the blade when the blade is in a predetermined tipped position.

3. A bulldozer according to claim l, further characterized by having a connecting member interlocked with said arcuate track and with characterized by the fact 6 said connecting block and having sliding engagement with said arcuate track about the tilting axis of the blade and sliding engagement with the convex surface of said connecting block about the tipping axis of the blade.

4. A bulldozer according to claim l, further characterized by having common locking means associated with said interlocked members to secure the blade against tilting and against tipping at a plurality of selected tilted and tipped positions of the blade.

5. In a bulldozer, the combination of 1 a supporting frame; a blade; means swivelly mounting said blade on said frame to tilt about an axis substantially perpendicular to the blade and to tip in a fore-and-aft direction about a horizontal axis; a landside adapted to be adjustably connected at its rear end to one side of the supporting frame to retain the blade in a plurality of selected positions in the horizontal plane; means slidably connecting the forward portion of the landside to the blade to permit the blade to tilt and to tip; said means comprising a plurality of interlocked members; two of said interlocked members having sliding engagement along an arc about the tilting axis of the blade, and two of said interlocked members having sliding engagement along an arc about the tipping axis of the blade.

6. A bulldozer, according to claim 5, further characterized by the fact that two of said interlocked members have plane bearing surfaces that register in bearing contact when the blade is tipped in a predetermined position.

7. A bulldozer according to claim 5, further characterized by having wedge means between two of said interlocked members to lock the blade against tilting and tipping at a plurality of selected tilted and tipped positions of the blade.

8. A bulldozer according to claim 5, further characterized by the fact that one of said interlocked members includes arcuate guide means for its adjacent cooperating interlocked member, said guide means being rigidly mounted on the blade and having its center of curvature on the tilting axis; that another of said interlocked members includes arcuate guide means for its adjacent cooperating interlocked member, said last-mentioned guide means being mounted on the forward end of the landside and having its center of curvature on the tipping axis; each guide means being adapted to lock its adjacent cooperating member against relative movement in the direction of the tilting and tipping axes.

9. A bulldozer according to claim 8, further that said frame is U- shaped, having a vertical hole in the center of the U, and has adjacent its vertical hole a spherical bearing surface having its center of curvature on the tilting and tipping axis; that the blade has at least one rearwardly projecting lug with a vertical hole therein to register with the vertical hole in the U; and that said lug has a concave surface adapted to register with said spherical bearing surface in all tilted and tipping positions of the blade.

10. In a bulldozer, the combination of: a blade; a supporting frame; a pin; a supporting member integral with the back of the blade; a hole in said member for receiving a portion of said pin; a concave bearing surface on said member adjacent said hole; a second hole in the supporting frame for receiving another portion of said pin; a blade-supporting convex bearing surface on the supporting frame adjacent the second hole; said bearingsurfaces having sliding contact and registering with veach otherinfall-angling, tilting,;and tipping positions of the blade; and Aadjustable locking means vassociated with the supporting member and engaging said pin to secure the. blade in any of a predetermined range of tipped positions While permitting the blade to assume any of its angled or tilted positions.

11. A bulldozer according to claim l0, further characterized by the fact that said adjustable locking means includes a rectangular keeper, said keeper being' disposed inside said supporting member and having sliding engagement with the inner Walls of said supporting member in a normally-vertical plane approximately perpendicular REFERENCES CITED The following lreferences are of record 'in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name ,Date

1,961,011 Pearson May l29, 1934 2,308,535 Paulsen Jan., 19, 19,43 2,412,574 French Dec. 17, 1946 

